Matthew Auer, a veteran administrator and policy scholar, has been named dean of the School of Public and International Affairs.
Auer is currently vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at Bates College in Maine, where he is also a professor of environmental studies. His appointment at UGA is effective July 1.
“Dr. Auer is committed to creating extraordinary learning experiences for students while also advancing scholarship and service that has a national and international impact,” said Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Pamela Whitten. “He is an ideal choice to lead UGA’s highly regarded School of Public and International Affairs into a new era of excellence.”
As dean of the faculty and vice president for academic affairs, a position he has held since 2013, Auer has helped shape the academic mission of Bates College. His responsibilities include faculty recruitment, review, tenure and promotion, as well as nurturing faculty career development. He co-chaired the campus-wide institutional planning process and is leading major campus initiatives, including the revision of general education requirements and the enhancement of academic support programs. He helped Bates garner a $1 million Mellon Foundation grant to build the college’s long-term capacity for recruiting diverse faculty as well as a $270,000 grant to support up to 45 student research positions in science, technology, engineering and math over a four-year period.
Auer began his academic career in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington. As director of undergraduate programs in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, he oversaw eight majors and six certificate programs and increased the enrollment of students in the school by 25 percent. In 2008 he was named dean of the university’s Hutton Honors College, where he oversaw a student body of approximately 4,200 and helped raise more than $1.6 million in private support.
“I am pleased that Dr. Auer is joining the University of Georgia as dean,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “His record of academic leadership is outstanding, and he has the experience and expertise to elevate even further our renowned School of Public and International Affairs.”
Auer is the author of more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on environmental policy and foreign aid. His professional and public service includes serving as a consultant for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of Energy.
He has advised the Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs and held visiting professorships at the World Maritime University in Switzerland, Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the Stockholm School of Economics.
His scholarship has been recognized with several top honors in his field, and his teaching awards include the Indiana University President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and the university’s Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching Award.
“I am thrilled to join the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia,” Auer said. “The professional and scholarly contributions of its faculty, staff and students are in high demand, and my goals are to continue fortifying SPIA’s strengths in political science, international affairs, and public administration and policy while sharing the school’s talents with the world.”
Auer holds doctoral and master’s degrees from Yale University, as well as a Master of Arts in law and diplomacy degree from Tufts University. He earned his bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from Harvard University.